WHATEVER YOU DESERVE!

REVELATION 2:23

"I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person.         And I will give to each of you WHATEVER YOU DESERVE!"

Man is sinful by nature.  That means that it come naturally to each of us to be deceitful in our thoughts and intentions.  We try to hide our true feelings and thoughts from others.  Why if others knew what we really thought it would be chaos.  If your child asks you if you like the painting or drawing they have just done, what would happen if we told them the bold and honest truth?  If  your spouse asks how they look, what if you said what you truly thought?  If you look at a person of the opposite sex with impure thoughts, what if others knew what you were thinking?  We tend to guard our true inner thoughts and feelings for good reason.

God on the other hand knows and searches out our thoughts and feelings and intentions and He knows what you are thinking.  You can run but you can not hide from the omniscient God.  So if you really do not love someone that you tell, He knows it.  If you do not respect your mother or father He knows it.  If  you do not have Jesus Christ as the first thing in your life, you are not fooling Him.  If you worship other idols or images you are not fooling God.  If you pretend to others that you have not committed murder, but you have contributed to an abortion, you are not fooling God.  When you steal, no matter how little or how much He sees and knows about it all.  If you commit adultery you may be fooling your spouse for a while, but you will never fool the Lord!

As believer's we have to be careful that our thoughts, and actions are in concert with our true feelings and beliefs.  What you whisper will be shouted to God.  What you do in the dark will be seen in His light, always.  You need to be sincere and honest in your words, thoughts and actions.  If you are not you will only be fooling yourself, but you will never fool God.  Knowing that this is true, remember that God will reward you with WHATEVER YOU DESERVE!  If that does not affect you and your relationship with God, you do not understand the truth for today!  Be honest with yourself first, others next, and always with God!

CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT!

REVELATION 2:19

"I know all the things you do.  I have seen  your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance.  And I can see  your CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT in all these things."

We know that God is omniscient and therefore knows all things, but how often do you remember that He knows all the things about you?   What we do in the dark is seen in the light by God.  What we whisper is shouted in God's ear.  There is nothing you can do or have done that was not know to God!  He knows your name and He knew you before you entered your mother's womb.  It is therefore so awesome that He has seen our love, faith and service to Him.  He knows of our patient endurance and all about us.  There is only one question that remains.  Has He seen Your CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT?

God knows if we have been charitable, and He knows if it is increasing or diminishing.  The Lord keeps a record of what we are doing and it is clear to Him if we are improving or diminishing in His sight.  Are your more recent works greater and more numerous than  your first?  He knows our deeds, just as He knows all about us.  Just as we expect our body to grow and mature, the Lord expects our spiritual body to grow and mature as our life continues.  The question for today is, has there been an improvement in  your life as God sees it?

The answer is a resounding yes for most of us.  What about the rest of the believer's?  This is a way to test your walk and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Are we becoming more and more like Him every day?  Has your love of God and others increased?  Has you faith become stronger and stronger as the years pass?  Has your service to God and others increased and improved?  Are you more patient and tolerant as the years go bye?  In short are you more like Christ than when you first believed?  What will be the measure to the Lord is that He sees in you a CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT!

WHAT CHRISTMAS IS?

MATTHEW-MARK-LUKE-JOHN

Christmas is made up of two words, Christ and mass.  The mass for Christ was to celebrate His birth, it was a festival.  It is to remember Christ's birth that we celebrate Christmas.  It would appear that although Christians may remember what Christmas really is, the rest of the world has done and will do everything it can to obscure and marginalize the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  They agonize over every part of the Christmas story and what it means to believer's.  Because they do not believe they try in every conceivable way to destroy something that they do not understand and in some cases even hate.  Unfortunately because of the influence of the world and our own greed and covetousness even Christians have distorted the Christ Mass and made it into something quite different.  

What is Christmas to you?   Is it a time for you to eat and drink and receive presents from all you can influence?  Instead of a birthday for Christ has it become a birthday party for you and all your family and friends?  How much time and space have you made for the Lord Jesus in your festival?  As believers we have to guard against being influenced by those who only want to use the Lord as a tool to enrich themselves.  The world has gone so far as to create another figure that will bring us toys and gifts and is a jolly old white bearded philanthropist.  Santa Claus is not our Saviour and he can not save anyone.  He gives nothing to anyone.  He is a way for the world to take our eyes of Jesus and the gift of God and the Holy Spirit to each of us.  

Now the world wants to take Christ out of Christmas!  Can you believe the audacity of the non believers?  They do not want us to use the word Christmas for good reason, they know it is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.  They do not want to bow down to God and they do not want to confess that Jesus is their Saviour.  From the beginning and certainly now, there are two groups of people in the world,  those who love Jesus and want to celebrate His life, and those who choose not to accept the Lord in any way.  Your task as a believer is to avoid the influence of the world and discern between the truth and the lies of the evil one.  If you love Jesus and remember to celebrate His birth and what the party is for, then you will reject any attempt to eliminate or marginalize Jesus and you will teach your family WHAT CHRISTMAS IS!

WHO IS A LIAR?

1 JOHN 2:22

"WHO IS A LIAR?  Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ.  Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an Antichrist."

The world has always and continues to be separated into two distinct groups.  The first group contains those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord God.  That means that they believe that Jesus is the Christ and that He and the Father are one, along with the Holy Spirit.  This group places all their hope and trust in the one and only true God.  The Holy one has given us the Spirit and we all know the truth.  We know and understand the difference between the truth and lies.  Jesus is the truth and He is the way and He is the Light and there is no other way to come unto the Father but by believing in Him. 

WHO IS A LIAR?   Who does not know or tell the truth?  Anyone, is an inclusive category and in this instance makes up the other distinct group in the world today.  That group includes anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ.  That group includes anyone who denies the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  They are titled as Antichrist!  They are opposed to the Lord Jesus and do not believe He  is the Saviour of the world and they do not believe He is

 God.  They do not have the Father and they do not have the Son in their life and they have no Spiritual discernment.  In short they do not know the truth and they are therefore LIARS.

It is becoming clearer every day that their is a split between these two groups that is more than palpable.  Each group is driven by their beliefs and they are diametrically opposed to one another.  They are not to be mixed and there resulting lives are predictable.  One is telling the truth and the other is telling lies.  One has respect and love and fear of God and the other does not.  As a result of their beliefs they make choices and act in concert with their beliefs.  If the group that is Antichrist do not change and come to a saving grace, they will die in their sins and be eternally dead in Hell.  Remember the words of the devil, "did God really say that" and "Surely you will not die"?  Same lie and the same Liar!  

LIVE FOREVER

1JOHN 2:17

"This world is fading away, along with everything that people crave.  But anyone who pleases God will LIVE FOREVER!

Throughout the history of man many attempts have been made to be able to live forever.  The Egyptian Pharaohs tried mummification and crossing the river of the dead.  We have people who are cryogenic ally freezing themselves for a future comeback.  We have stories of vampires and other creatures that supposedly live forever, all untrue.  These just represent the desire of man to be able to live forever and the fear of death that haunts every soul.  We are all just fading away and everything we have accumulated with us.  Is it possible, is there a plan whereby each of us could LIVE FOREVER?

There is only one way that you can live forever!  There is only one way that you can end up with a mansion and eternal life!  There is only one way that you can live without pain and sorrow and illness and eventual death!  This is the "GOOD NEWS",  that has been told to and accepted by many.  How about you, do you know that you can live forever in perfect bliss?  If you do not or do not believe that it is possible, rethink your position.  If you can believe in vampires and werewolves and zombies that live forever than perhaps you could consider the truth for today.  

The question becomes for those above, how do you LIVE FOREVER?  The answer is so simple and yet the choice is left up to each individual.  You must believe in Jesus Christ the Lord God and accept Him into your heart.  You must believe that He died for you and rose again to ascend into heaven where He awaits believer's.  Once you have accepted the free gift of Salvation, and you have learned the Law's and commandments of God and become more like Him, then you will be on your way to eternal life.  In short, if you do what pleases God, you will LIVE FOREVER!